Silver Spoon

Art Historical Context

Behold the delicate *Silver Spoon*, a graphite drawing on paper by Charlotte Winter, around 1936. Measuring 23.1 x 28.8 cm, this precise rendering captures an original silver spoon—8 3/4 inches long and 1 3/4 inches wide—with meticulous attention to its elegant form and subtle contours. Winter's skilled use of graphite brings out the spoon's reflective sheen and intricate craftsmanship, transforming a humble everyday object into a study of refined design. This artwork is part of the *Index of American Design*, a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s. During the Great Depression, artists like Winter were commissioned to document America's rich heritage of folk art, crafts, and decorative objects through accurate, colorful renderings. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W department, it exemplifies the project's mission to preserve and celebrate pre-industrial American ingenuity. Winter's drawing highlights the cultural importance of silverware as both functional art and status symbol in early American homes. By rendering its graceful proportions and fine details, she invites us to appreciate the anonymous makers' artistry, bridging everyday life with historical legacy in this virtual gallery showcase.

About the Artist

Charlotte Winter · 1855–present

Charlotte Winter was an American artist who made her most lasting contribution during the late 1930s and early 1940s as a participant in the Index of American Design, a major New Deal program administered under the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. The Index employed artists across the United States to document the nation's decorative arts heritage through meticulous watercolor ...